# Activision <small style="color: gray">Last updated: January 17, 2026</small> ## Overview Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California, and one of the largest third-party video game publishers in the world.[^ref-1] Founded on October 1, 1979, by former Atari programmers David Crane, Alan Miller, Bob Whitehead, and Jim Levy, Activision holds the distinction of being the first independent, third-party console video game developer.[^ref-2][^ref-3] The company has evolved significantly from its origins as a pioneering Atari 2600 developer to become a global gaming powerhouse. In July 2008, Activision merged with Vivendi Games (parent of Blizzard Entertainment) to form Activision Blizzard.[^ref-4] Most recently, Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for $75.4 billion in October 2023, bringing the company under the Microsoft Gaming umbrella.[^ref-5] ## Sierra Connection Activision's relationship with Sierra properties spans several decades and contexts: **Vivendi Games Merger (2008):** When Activision merged with Vivendi Games, they inherited [[Publishers/Sierra On-Line\|Sierra]]'s intellectual property portfolio.[^ref-10] While Sierra's adventure game development had largely ended by this point, Activision gained access to the Sierra brand and catalog. **King's Quest Reboot (2015):** Activision published the episodic *King's Quest* reimagining developed by The Odd Gentlemen, marking a revival of Sierra's most iconic adventure franchise.[^ref-6] **Dynamix-Era Publishing:** In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Activision published several games with Dynamix connections, including *Deathtrack* (1989) and collaborated on titles like *Conquests of Camelot* and *Conquests of the Longbow*. ## History ### Founding and Golden Age (1979-1983) Activision was founded by four disgruntled Atari programmers who sought greater recognition and royalties for their work. The company's early success came from titles like *Pitfall!* (1982), which sold over four million copies, and *Kaboom!* (1981), their first million-seller.[^ref-7] ### Video Game Crash and Recovery (1983-1991) The video game crash of 1983 hit Activision hard, forcing diversification into home computer games and the acquisition of text adventure pioneer Infocom in 1986.[^ref-8] The company renamed itself Mediagenic in 1988 but fell into severe debt by 1991. ### Bobby Kotick Era (1991-2023) Bobby Kotick purchased the struggling Mediagenic for approximately $500,000 in 1991 and rebuilt the company, reverting to the Activision name.[^ref-9] Under Kotick's leadership, Activision acquired numerous studios and built major franchises including Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Guitar Hero, and Call of Duty. ### Microsoft Acquisition (2023-Present) Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard on October 13, 2023, for $75.4 billion—the largest acquisition in video game industry history.[^ref-5] ## Games in This Archive | Year | Game | Notes | |------|------|-------| | 2015 | [[2015 - King's Quest\|King's Quest]] | Episodic reboot by The Odd Gentlemen | *Note: Several games listed in the archive were developed by studios with Activision connections (Dynamix, Papyrus) but were published by Sierra, not Activision.* ### Other Activision-Published (Synergistic) - Laser Surgeon: The Microscopic Mission — 1987 (not in archive) ### Cancelled Projects | Status | Game | Notes | |--------|------|-------| | Cancelled | [[CXL - Babylon 5 - Into the Fire\|Babylon 5: Into the Fire]] | Sierra/Yosemite project | | Unreleased | [[TBD - Gabriel Knight 4 - Five Hearts\|Gabriel Knight 4: Five Hearts]] | Jane Jensen pitch | ## Key Acquisitions Notable studio acquisitions relevant to this archive: - **Raven Software** (1997) - $12 million - **Neversoft** (2000) - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater developers - **Infinity Ward** (2003) - $5 million, Call of Duty creators - **Treyarch** (2001) - $20 million - **RedOctane** (2006) - ~$100 million, Guitar Hero publisher ## References [^ref-1]: [Wikipedia - Activision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activision) - Company overview and history [^ref-2]: [MobyGames - Activision Publishing, Inc.](https://www.mobygames.com/company/25/activision-publishing-inc/) - Game database profile [^ref-3]: [Gamedeveloper - The History of Activision](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-history-of-activision) - First third-party publisher history [^ref-4]: [Wikipedia - Activision Blizzard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activision_Blizzard) - Merger details [^ref-5]: [Wikipedia - Acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquisition_of_Activision_Blizzard_by_Microsoft) - Microsoft purchase details [^ref-6]: [Activision Official Site](https://www.activision.com/games) - Game portfolio including King's Quest [^ref-7]: [IGN - The History of Activision](https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/01/the-history-of-activision) - Early game sales [^ref-8]: [MIT - Down From the Top of Its Game: The Story of Infocom](https://web.archive.org/web/20151105165849/http://web.mit.edu/6.933/www/Fall2000/infocom/infocom-paper.pdf) - Infocom acquisition [^ref-9]: [Forbes - Activision's Unlikely Hero](https://www.forbes.com/2009/01/15/activision-kotick-games-tech-personal-cz_pb_0115kotick.html) - Bobby Kotick purchase [^ref-10]: [Activision Blizzard - Who We Are](https://www.activisionblizzard.com/who-we-are) - 2008 merger history [^ref-11]: [Britannica - Activision](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Activision) - Company founding and early history [^ref-12]: [CNBC - Microsoft closes Activision Blizzard deal](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/13/microsoft-closes-activision-blizzard-deal-after-regulatory-review.html) - Acquisition completion details [^ref-13]: [Raven Software - Call of Duty Wiki](https://callofduty.fandom.com/wiki/Raven_Software) - Raven acquisition details [^ref-14]: [Treyarch - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treyarch) - Treyarch acquisition (2001) [^ref-15]: [Activision Blizzard - King Acquisition](https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-blizzard-completes-king-acquisition-becomes-largest) - King acquisition for $5.9 billion